By 1812Blockhouse
When people talk about economic development, the conversation often drifts toward incentives, reports, or projections. In Richland County this winter, the story is much more concrete. It has a dollar figure. It has factory floors, loading docks, and machine shops. And it has hundreds of people who show up to work every day.
At the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development’s 2026 Evening of Excellence in February, four companies will be recognized for something far more meaningful than a headline. CNG, Hanline Group, Michael Byrne Manufacturing, and Weiss Industries are being honored with Economic Impact Awards for the measurable, tangible ways they are strengthening the local economy through investment, jobs, and long-term commitment to the community.
These are not symbolic recognitions. They are acknowledgments of real growth happening inside buildings across the county.
A $100 Million Signal from CNG
Few announcements carry as much weight as a nine-figure investment.
CNG, also known as Charter Next Generation, is pouring more than $100 million into its Richland County operations in Lexington and Ontario. The investment includes facilities, machinery, and equipment, and it comes with the addition of 125 new jobs while retaining more than 1,200 existing positions locally.
That kind of decision sends a message that extends well beyond the company itself. It tells suppliers, contractors, and workers that Richland County is a place worth doubling down on. For a specialty films and material science company operating in a highly competitive, technology-driven sector, this level of commitment reflects long-term confidence in both the workforce and the region.
From Shelby Roots to a Multi-State Network: Hanline Group
Hanline Group’s story begins with R.S. Hanline & Company in Shelby, where fresh produce processing, repacking, and distribution laid the foundation for what has become a sophisticated food manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain organization.
Today, Hanline supports a multi-state distribution network from its Ohio base, providing integrated produce and ingredient programs for food manufacturers and retailers across the region. That growth has not come at the expense of its local footprint. Instead, Richland County remains the operational heart of an expanding network that connects farms, processors, and grocery shelves.
Hanline’s impact is measured not only in jobs and facilities, but in how it helps anchor a critical part of the food supply chain in the region.
Michael Byrne Manufacturing and the Work Below Ground
Many of the most important parts of modern life are buried out of sight. Water lines, sewer systems, and utility conduits all depend on equipment that most people will never see.
Michael Byrne Manufacturing has been building that equipment in the Mansfield area since 1966. The family-owned company produces auger boring machines, augers, cutting heads, and industrial gearboxes used in trenchless technology for underground utility installation. Operating from a multi-building site on more than 10 acres in rural Richland County, the company has become a quiet but essential contributor to both local employment and an industry that keeps communities functioning.
Their longevity tells its own story. Nearly six decades of continuous operation in the same community is economic impact measured in generations.
Weiss Industries and a Local Industrial Presence
Weiss Industries is also among the 2026 honorees, recognized for its contribution to the local economy as an industrial and manufacturing firm in Richland County.
While recent investment figures have not been publicized in the same way as some of the other recipients, its inclusion highlights an important reality. Economic strength in a community is built not only by headline projects, but by steady, ongoing industrial activity that supports jobs, suppliers, and the broader manufacturing ecosystem year after year.
What the Awards Represent
The Economic Impact Awards are designed to recognize businesses, individuals, or organizations that measurably strengthen the local economy through capital investment, job creation, or sustained growth.
This year’s recipients illustrate all three.
A major capital infusion from CNG.
A regional logistics and food supply network anchored by Hanline.
A long-standing manufacturing presence from Michael Byrne.
A steady industrial contributor in Weiss Industries.
Together, they form a snapshot of what a healthy local economy actually looks like. Not a single sector, not a single moment, but a mix of innovation, legacy, expansion, and stability.
When these companies are honored in February at the Chamber’s Evening of Excellence in Mansfield, the applause will not simply be for corporate success. It will be for the people who work inside these facilities, the families those jobs support, and the signal this sends about Richland County’s economic future.
